FOODS THAT MAKE YOU AGE FASTER

Some unhealthy eating habits do worse than make you fat and tired – they age you from the inside out. Experts say that poor dietary choices– including many sugary, fatty, refined and highly processed foods– can, in fact, subtract years from your life. Here are some of the worst offenders:

1) Fast Foods

Fast foods contain trans fats, manmade vegetable oil infused with hydrogen. They are a notorious accelerant of inflammation, a key cause of premature aging. Inflammation ages you from the inside out, by impairing the chemistry of your chromosomes, thus compromising the body’s ability to regenerate organs.

2) Hydrogenated Fats

Used for years in snack foods, bakery items and margarine, hydrogenated fats are now recognized as a potential cause of heart disease. Be sure to check ingredient lists for them. Avoid all cookies, crackers, baked goods or other grocery items that include them.

3) Olestra

Olestra is a synthetic fat used to make nonfat potato chips and other snacks. Yes, it is nonfat, but it’s also been shown to bind with fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D, and K and as well as carotenoids—all invaluable antioxidant nutrients—and eliminate them from our systems.

4) Nitrates

Found in high levels in cured meats such as bacon and hot dogs, nitrates preserve color and protect products from microbes. But they’re also harmful to the human system because they can convert to nitrites once ingested, which in turn can form nitrosamines, powerful cancer-causing chemicals.

They’re delectable, of course, but they can also carry deadly bacteria that can cause serious illness, or even death. You take a big risk every time you consume them. Oysters and fish are usually safe and still nutritious if you cook them first.

7) Saturated Animal Fats

These include: A) fatty meats, especially beef and pork, and the skin on poultry; and B) full-fat dairy products such as cheese, milk and cream. They do have some contributions to make to the diet—including nutrients that feed your brain. But not many that cannot be found elsewhere.

8) Soda Pop

Soda pop is a poor way to hydrate in the short term and a great way to develop diabetes in the long term. Pop is full of sugar or artificial sweeteners, and often contains caffeine, as well as synthetic flavor and colors.

9) High-Fat and High-Sodium Snacks

These include chips, even those made with vegetable oil. The balance of fat in American diets has shifted too far towards the omega-6 variety found in most processed vegetable oils. Also, we tend to overdo salt, leading to many cases of high blood pressure. There’s evidence that too many of these fats and sodium-rich foods may be leading to premature chronic disease.

10) Frozen Meats

They may have all the right ingredients and may not be inherently bad for you, but they prevent you from eating fresh, whole, natural foods that contain more nutrients and fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals. You may be pressured for time. And you may be tempted to rationalize frozen meats as “better than fast food.” But don’t let laziness pre-empt fresh real foods in your diet.